Comforting The Sick
by Monkeywand
Summary: What happens when Castle finds out Kate's at home sick? Fluffy one-shot.


**Disclaimer**: Y'all know the drill.

**A/N**: Just a little one-shot that popped into my head. Big thanks to Falc who read over it and came up with the ending. The plot bunnies ran off with mine. It has only been semi-beta'd so any mistakes are mine.

Comforting The Sick

She sniffles and blows her nose into a tissue, moaning as the sound hurts her head. Her body aches all over and she doesn't have the energy to do anything other than to just lay there. Only the insistent need to pee forces her from her bed. She shivers as the cool morning air reaches her body. She forces her aching body to stand and only a hand on her bedside table stops her from falling back down completely. She waits for the dizziness to subside before making her way carefully to the bathroom.

For once, she is glad Montgomery ordered her to stay home. There was no way she'd be able to do paperwork today, let alone chase down any leads. Finishing up, she glances in the mirror, confused at first by what she sees. Her skin is pale, her hair lank and she can see the darkened shadows beneath her eyes. She quickly looks away, shuddering. She shuffles out to the couch, snagging her thick quilt from her bed on the way.

* * *

><p>"Morning," he greets, walking into the precinct, two coffees in hand.<p>

"Morning, bro," Esposito replies, whilst Ryan, on the phone, waves hello. "Yo, she's not in," Esposito continues, noticing the writer glancing around the room. "Cap'n refused her to come in."

"Yeah, I believe his exact words were, 'You're sick. Take the day. Stay home. That's an order,'" Ryan pipes up, finishing his phone call.

"Oh." Castle appears dejected for a moment but visibly brightens as an idea pops into his head. "The coffees are for you," he calls, dashing back out of the precinct. Esposito and Ryan shoot each other a look, then shake their heads. They were used to Castle's shenanigans.

"Beckett?" Ryan asks.

"Beckett," Esposito confirms and they bump fists.

* * *

><p>A knock interrupts her from her fitful sleep. She burrows further into her nest of rugs, too lethargic to move, willing the occupant at the door to go away. No such luck. The knock sounds again, but this time is joined by a voice calling through the door.<p>

"Kate? Kate, it's me, Rick." She doesn't know whether to grin or groan. "Listen, I'm coming in, okay?" She'd forgotten that she'd given him a key but in that moment she is grateful. The door opens slowly and in he steps, calling out again.

"In here," she croaks, wincing as her throat burns. He walks into view and she can see he is holding a couple of canvas bags in hand.

"Oh, Kate." He looks at her with a sad expression.

"What have you got?" she asks, bringing his attention away from his scrutiny of her. His eyes merely twinkle as he continues on into the kitchen. She lays for a moment, but curiosity gets the better of her and she stands, following the writer.

"Hey, hey, you should be resting," he says, noticing her presence in the doorway. She rolls her eyes.

"I'm sick, not an invalid." But she sits at the table nonetheless. He quickly resumes chopping and adding ingredients to the saucepan. Moments later the scents of potato and onion wafts through her apartment. Despite feeling ill, her stomach grumbles at the smell. She glares at Castle after one particularly loud growl causes him to look over.

"Hey, I didn't say anything," he says quickly, holding up his hands.

"No, but you thought it."

"That's not all I was thinking," he jokes earning an eye roll. She tries to follow on what he is doing but from her position she cannot see much.

"Who knew Richard Castle was such a cook?" she teases.

"Oh, Kate, you wound me," he replies dramatically. "Besides, Alexis is still alive and it sure wasn't because of Mother's cooking."

"Sure," she drawls, earning one of his looks. She hides a smirk behind her hand in the pretense of coughing.

"I'll have you know, I am an excellent cook. Just ask Alexis. On second thoughts, don't. I don't want you two conspiring against me and my cooking." She emits a soft chuckle, wrapping the blankets further around her body. He doesn't miss the slight shiver she gives. Knowing she'd protest if he ordered her out, he makes a joke of getting her to leave.

"Kate, you're going to ruin the surprise," he whines, reminding her, not for the umpteenth time of a three-year-old.

"What if I don't want a surprise?" He sobers up.

"Do you?" he asks seriously.

"Yes."

"Then be off with you. Scat." He makes a shooing motion with his hands, waving her away.

"Scat?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Beckett," he stresses. "Don't make me carry you out." She would laugh if she weren't so afraid of him carrying out his threat.

"I'm going, I'm going," she quickly says, moving as fast as her aching body would allow. Still cocooned in the mound of rugs, she half sits, half lays in a ball in the corner of the couch.

"Voilà," he announces, walking into the room, brandishing two ceramic bowls and a plate of fresh buns. "Potato and onion soup. My own recipe. I used to make it when Alexis was sick." He passes over a bowl and places his own, plus the plate of buns on the coffee table before them.

"Mmm... Smells so good," she murmurs.

"So your belly was telling me," he replies, earning another glare. She looks around for the cutlery and realizes he has forgotten it.

"Uh, Castle, small problem."

"What? It's too hot? You don't like it?" He spits out the questions faster than she can breathe.

"Something to eat with?" she finally answers with an amused look.

"Oh." He stands and makes a dash for the kitchen.

"Castle, watch out for the... table." She winces as he catches his bare foot on the corner of the dining table. His howl of pain and comical jumping up and down on one foot causes her to crack up laughing. At the sound of her amusement, he stops, proceeding to rub his injured foot. He adopts a wounded look which causes her to laugh harder.

"Laughing at my expense. Not cool, Kate. Not cool." He sits again and passes her the cutlery he'd forgotten. She cautiously takes a sip, and is surprised by how it good tastes. By the look of the soup, she was expecting something thick and heavy but it is surprisingly light.

"This is good," she admits, swallowing the mouthful.

"Good." Standing again, he gently tiptoes over to the dining table, rummaging through the canvas bag he'd brought. Spinning to face Kate, he holds up three disks. Her jaw drops in surprise.

"Temptation Lane," she breathes. "You remembered."

"You sound shocked."

"A little surprised but I guess I should be used to it by now." He lets the comment slide, instead holding up the disks.

"So, which one?"

"Hmmm... surprise me." Slipping a disk into the dvd player, he snags the remote and resumes his position on the other side of the couch. Pretty soon, the disk begins and the sound of spoons scraping bowls adds to the noise of the TV.

* * *

><p>Partway through, Castle stands, taking the bowls with him. Kate shivers beneath the rugs, suddenly feeling really cold. She tries not to let it show when he returns but at his look she knows he knows something is amiss. She can feel him stealing glances at her. She shivers again, trying to ignore him.<p>

"That's it," he says, making her jump. Obviously she was concentrating harder on blocking him out than she'd thought. "Come here."

She looks at him confused. "W-what?" she asks, teeth chattering.

"You're obviously cold, so come here." He lifts up his arm, beckoning her over to his side of the couch. She hesitates. "I promise I won't bite." She rolls her eyes, but scoots over, warily sinking into his embrace. His hand brushes against her cheek as he tucks the blankets in around them.

"Wow, Kate. You're hot!" he exclaims. She refrains from rolling her eyes, knowing what he meant.

"But so c-cold," she admits. She snuggles further into him, as if trying to steal his warmth. He merely tightens his arms around her as voices of Temptation Lane fill the apartment once more.

* * *

><p>There is a weight upon his chest. Forcing open sleepy eyes, he looks down to realize the weight is in fact one Katherine Beckett snuggled up to his chest. He wonders what she might say when she wakes up but for the moment she is peaceful. He brushes a stray hair back from her face, watching as she subconsciously snuggles further into his chest. Lazily, he traces patterns on her back.<p>

* * *

><p>It hot. It's the first thing she notices. That and her bed is surprisingly comfy. Moving one hand, she realizes it is not her bed she is laying upon, nor her couch, but a body. Richard Castle's body to be exact. She can feel him trailing his fingers up and down her back and is surprised to feel the heat blazing beneath his touch. She expects to be annoyed but for some reason she doesn't care, too content just to lay there. She stirs a little, adjusting her head on his chest. He freezes his movements, tensing for her reaction.<p>

"Hi," she mumbles, still half asleep.

"Hi."

"Mmm, don't stop," she murmurs. He hesitates but resumes the movement. He must have made a sound, because she lifts her head to look at him.

"What?" He looks at her confused.

"Nothing." She shakes her head, resting it back down.

"You must really be sick then," he can't help but commenting.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks, partially moving herself off his body.

"Nothing bad," he says hurriedly. "I just mean that, you're not very touchy-feely and yet, here you are, snuggling up to me." She pauses, realizing he is right. Not that she'd ever admit to it. She shrugs, laying her head back on his chest.

"I'm comfy," is her only explanation. He gives a mental shrug then smiles, resting one hand on her lower back, the other resuming the lazy circles on her back.

* * *

><p>She makes her way into the precinct with a spring in her step. She waves to Montgomery through the glass window before continuing on. 'She certainly is more refreshed,' he thinks to himself as he watches her greet the boys. Shrugging, he focuses on his paperwork, glad to have his best detective back. Outside, the boys share a look when her back is turned.<p>

"Castle?" Ryan asks, whispering.

"Castle," Esposito confirms and they bump fists. She narrows her eyes, wondering what the two male detectives were up to. As if he'd heard his name, the writer walks into the precinct, two coffees in hand.

"Morning," he greets.

"Morning, bro," Esposito answers whilst Ryan gives him a wave.

"Morning, Castle," she adds cheerily, taking the proffered coffee. The boys nod knowingly as Castle winks. She shoots them a confused look, causing all three to crack up laughing. She rolls her eyes, thinking what had possessed her to put up with them. Castle included.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading.<p>

Monkeywand


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